Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Connecticut Sues
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Connecticut becomes the first state to plan to sue the federal government for forcing states to meet the unfunded mandates of the No Child Left Behind law. Connecticut claims NCLB I forces them to administer standardized tests that cost millions of dollars without receiving any money from the federal government to pay for the increased education costs. The Connecticut Attorney General is looking for other states to join his lawsuit.
The Times article says Connecticut could be successful with this suit because NCLB I includes a passage placed in it by Republicans that forbids the federal gov't from forcing states to pay for the federal policies required by the education law.
And this is the law the NY Times Editoral page wants to keep around?
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The Times editorial says much of NCLB I needs to be fixed but is fundamentally a solid law with solid goals.
But what's the point of creating a solid law with solid goals if you don't intend to fund it?
And I guarantee you, Bush never intended to fund it. He set the NCLB I goals so high so that schools have trouble meeting them and can be declared "failing" by 2015. And then his conservative buddies can pass the Federal Voucher Law of 2015 and keep the evangelical and Roman Catholic bases happy.
As I have said earlier, real education reform must wait until a man with a shred of decency and honesty resides in the White House. And Shrub ain't him.
Connecticut becomes the first state to plan to sue the federal government for forcing states to meet the unfunded mandates of the No Child Left Behind law. Connecticut claims NCLB I forces them to administer standardized tests that cost millions of dollars without receiving any money from the federal government to pay for the increased education costs. The Connecticut Attorney General is looking for other states to join his lawsuit.
The Times article says Connecticut could be successful with this suit because NCLB I includes a passage placed in it by Republicans that forbids the federal gov't from forcing states to pay for the federal policies required by the education law.
And this is the law the NY Times Editoral page wants to keep around?
link
The Times editorial says much of NCLB I needs to be fixed but is fundamentally a solid law with solid goals.
But what's the point of creating a solid law with solid goals if you don't intend to fund it?
And I guarantee you, Bush never intended to fund it. He set the NCLB I goals so high so that schools have trouble meeting them and can be declared "failing" by 2015. And then his conservative buddies can pass the Federal Voucher Law of 2015 and keep the evangelical and Roman Catholic bases happy.
As I have said earlier, real education reform must wait until a man with a shred of decency and honesty resides in the White House. And Shrub ain't him.
